For Star Wars fans, experiencing Star Tours is a highlight of Walt Disney World and Disneyland vacations that has you running back to the ride’s entrance as soon as you get off. As a fan of both Star Wars and Star Tours, the recent movie releases have brought extra excitement, knowing that Disney has added new movie scenes into the Star Tours experience. I will confess that I watched The Last Jedi trying to envision what parts of the movie would be added to the ride. As an extra treat for fans, director Rian Johnson has been reported as saying that as a fan of Star Tours himself, he specifically reflected the ride in the movie. A movie reflecting an attraction that reflects a movie, it’s almost too good to be true!

As in the original version of Star Tours, the ride starts with you boarding a Starspeeder. C-3PO is unexpectedly put into the position of the pilot and quickly escapes after an Empire droid looks for the Rebel Spy onboard your ship.

The characters from episodes XII and XIII are introduced early on in the ride. As the ride has multiple configurations, you will need to ride quite a few times to be able to encounter those from the Empire: Kylo Ren and General Hux, and those in the Resistance: Rey, BB-8, Poe Dameron, and Maz Kanata.

Walt Disney World attractions lifestyle shoot. April 2013. Photographer: Chris Sista

Jumping multiple times to hyperspace, your heart really starts to pound when you exit hyperspace and fly over the landscape of Crait. Crait, the red mineral planet covered in salt is a base for the Resistance in The Last Jedi and the First Order is determined to destroy it. After flying through a crystal cavern and dodging the giant crystals, you emerge to find yourself in the middle of the final battle of good versus evil. There’s no time to look for Finn who’s trying to blow up the super laser siege cannon below you, you have AT-AT walkers and General Hux trying to take your ship down as they head towards their ultimate mission of breaking down the base’s massive doors. True to the movie, as the battering ram prepares to open fire at the doors, Poe Dameron orders all speeders, including you, to fall back. You don’t know what will happen below but you head towards the atmosphere for your final jump to hyperspace to find safety.

Safety, it turns out, is the Galaxy’s Edge – a perfect image of the artist's renderings of the new land opening up in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in 2019. It leaves you ready for more adventures and more battles where you too can use the Force for good or evil when you get to experience the planet yourself.

Star Tours is a must ride for any Star Wars fan. Be sure to ask your Me and The Mouse travel agent for all the must-do activities for Star Wars fans of all ages.